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Travel Tuesday – Snowbird Edition

We’re in the long slog of winter now. The slow march down the backside of the hill, which seems like it keeps going on and on and on until finally, when you think you can’t take it anymore, spring appears in the valley. It’s for this reason that many people choose to take a vacation somewhere – anywhere – warm and maybe tropical. Retail stores want to take advantage of this instinct, naturally, so if you ever wondered why swimsuits start showing up in Target and other places right after Christmas, there’s your answer.

To be fair, this is one of the easiest Minnesota winters I’ve lived through so far. We haven’t had a ton of snow (I have pictures from one year where the snowbanks on our driveway were over my head), and we’ve only had one, maybe two weeks of deep freeze temps. Still, if I could, I would love to take off to somewhere with a beach and warm sunshine! If I was lucky enough to make it somewhere warm, I would consider splurging a little on a fabulous retro swimsuit.

Retro is poised to be one of the big trends in swimwear this year. I’ve even seen an example or two pop up in Target’s offerings. So I searched the internet last night for some great pieces you can buy now, if you’re lucky enough to take a snowbird vacation, and found these!

Wonder Woman Halter One Piece – Starting off with a bang here. This is fantastic! I found this and the next one on a site called Pinup Girl Clothing; they have a ton of different styles. None of them are super cheap – they average around $100 – so at $40 this one is kind of a steal. It features a deep plunge halter neckline and a low cut back, and Wonder Woman’s signature red, blue and stars design. This is hot, and in this day and age of comic book movies, it will get you noticed at the beach.

Tiger Bikini – That link is just for the top; bottoms are here. This is so Bettie Page – animal print, high waisted bottoms, bra style top. The lovely thing about retro or vintage styles is they’re better tailored to curvy feminine shapes – and the high waists can hide a multitude of sins. The top is $64 and the bottoms are $48.

High Tide and True One-Piece in Navy – ModCloth is another great resource for vintage style clothing. This $89.99 one-piece is super adorable, with it’s polka dots, ivory collar neckline and low-cut legs. Add a great floppy hat, big sunglasses and red lips and you’ll be the talk of the pool.

Navy and Red One-Piece Sailor Swimsuit – Classic sailor style. Red and white striped top combined with a rich navy bodice, plus six buttons like you’d find on sailor pants. This $88 suit also features a tummy control panel and red and white striped detailing on the legs that help slim the leg and hip area.

High-Waisted Leopard Bikini Set – Now for a couple cheaper options. This set is super cute – it features a leopard print bustier-style top with a zipper and high waisted black bottoms with a leopard tie. It’s on sale for $16.95 and they only have size small left! Which means Mama might get a new bikini this year …

Two-Tone Ruffled Swimsuit – YesStyle is one of several websites out there that ship from the Hong Kong area. When checking out these websites, it’s definitely a good idea to research them online – BBB rankings, customer reviews, etc. There are some out there that are a tad shady, but I’ve never had any problem with this website. It ships fairly quickly, for coming from Hong Kong – I think the last time I ordered something, it took about 1-2 weeks – and the items are good quality. Just be aware that shipping does take longer than other websites, and most of their clothing is one size, so check the measurements! This site has a conversion chart which is super helpful. Not all of their swim styles are retro, but they definitely have a good selection of retro style suits – this super cute ivory and black ruffled one-shoulder number reminds me of something Sophia Loren would wear! They also have a white and black off-the-shoulder style. Both are $16.11.

So if you’re going somewhere warm on vacation, take a look at one of these! And come pick me up and smuggle me in your suitcase. I’m small and I don’t mind, I swear!